What makes your winery special?
Matt: Our site is completely unique. Our beautiful redwood grove, lawn
and running creek is such an inviting setting. We are seeing more people
who bring picnics and spend the day here. Tiffany: We have a new tast-
ing room close to the redwood grove. We offer bocce ball and a large
picnic area. Most importantly, we have an extremely knowledge and
friendly staff who make people feel very welcome. Some weekends we
host baby and bridal showers, celebrations of life and weddings. We
have a wedding coordinator and access to catering, furniture rentals
and music.
The property of Fernwood Cellars has been passed down
through six generations, making it the oldest continuously-
owned property among all the existing wineries in the Santa
Clara Valley. Does this history impact the wines that you make?
Tiffany: It has been an incredible marketing tool. There are a lot of history
buffs who are interested in the Redwood Retreat Road and the multi-
generational properties here. Linda, Matt’s mom, enjoys taking people on
walking tours around the property. Matt: After the old Victorian hotel that
my great-great grandfather built over a hundred years ago burned down
in 1907, he built the “Big Red House” on its foundation and continued to
improve the property. I hope my great-great grandfather would be happy
with what we’ve done.
Any special wines, new releases on the horizon?
Matt: Our flagship wines are our Cabernet and our Chardonnay. I like
to make big, structured Cabs that are built for aging. We also produce
Bordeaux and Rhone blends. Coming out soon will be wine made from
Carignan grapes that have been grown in a 130-year-old vineyard that
we farm. Tiffany: Technically, our winery is located in the Santa Cruz
appellation. We are just one ridge away from the Pacific Ocean. During
the summer we get the heat, but at night, the marine air and fog can cool
the temperature by forty degrees. It slows the acid loss in the grapes which
allow them to retain their structure.
Favorite wine trick?
Matt: If you want a Coca Cola, you pull it out of the fridge, open it and
boom, you drink it. But with wine, I like to open the bottle, pour some in
a glass and wait. Come back to it in an hour after it has had a chance to
breathe and evolve. Tiffany: Have some patience and respect for the wine.
When opening the bottle letting it breathe the flavors will change several
times.
Funniest customer story?
Matt: In 2007, when “Sideways,” the wine movie, ridiculed Merlot
wine, suddenly no one wanted to try our Merlot, even though it had won
several Gold medals. So the next vintage, I made the exact same wine
but removed Merlot from the front label and called it “Mirepoix.”
It became our best seller!
What roles do you have at the winery?
Matt: I’m the winemaker and vineyard manager and Tiffany manages the
wine club, our events, office and staff.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
You both are very involved in the community. Tell us about it?
Tiffany: We are very grateful for all the community support we have
received so it is very important for us to give back. I am the current
president of the Gilroy Assistant League. We want to set a good example
for our children. We explain to them that we are helping to change
the lives of others who are disadvantaged. Over the holidays last year,
Jake and Ella said it “felt so good” to donate turkeys and toys to the
less fortunate at St. Joseph’s Center. This make me so very proud. Matt:
I have spent the last five years coaching the Girls’ Soccer Program at
Christopher High School; two years with Junior Varsity and the last three
years as the Head Coach for Varsity. It has been extremely rewarding.
There is more to life than just making money. Giving our time to the
community is like throwing a rock into a lake. There is a great ripple
effect that in addition to the immediate rewards we’ve received, there
may well be rewards that are reaped well into the future.
What is your biggest challenge with owning a winery?
Tiffany: Matt and I are one of the youngest couples in our wine industry.
We are still juggling schedules to accommodate our children’s’ school
activities. There is a lot of travel to their various sporting events. Our
biggest challenge is being great parents with the few, remaining years
before our children grow up and leave the nest.
A habit that you use to ensure a successful harvest/production?
Matt: Every year I keep a data journal of the grapevines; from beginning
to end. I note things such as the weather, the yield and quality. Maye it is
more pragmatic that I should be but the data helps me especially when I
blend. I can refer back to what I did when I had a similar year.
What are the chances that your two children, Jake and Ella,
will continue on in your family legacy?
Matt: Our daughter Ella is just now expressing an interest. Jake wants to
go into sports management and Ella is still wanting to explore a culinary
career but still wants to keep the winery going, too. But I still say that
winemaking was my windmill to tilt at and not necessarily theirs.
So, no pressure!
june/july 2019
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